South Canterbury Times, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 1881.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2617, 10 August 1881, Page 2

South Canterbury Times, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 1881.

SECOND EDITION

It is to he hoped that the joyful tidings has been wived to the honorable member for Ge-aldine that Mr C. G. Tripp has signified his intention that he will not be a candidate for Geraldine at the next election, that is. provided Mr Wakefield allows himself to be again nominated. As there is not the slightest prospect of the latter event not coming off, we are afraid, Mr Tripp must rest content to remain a while longer in the seclusion of Orari Gorge. Let us trust that Parliament and the country will be able to bear up against the deprivation of his valuable services in assisting in the work of legislation. Men of the stamp of Mr C. G. Tripp do not enter the Parliamentary arena every day. The Legislature is sadly in want of liberal and broad-minded statesmen. An infusion of new blood is required to vivify the General Assembly. We hasten to inform Mr Tripp that there is still hope that the colony may secure his services,while at the same tune the eloquent member for Geraldine may continue to add fresh laurels to his fame as the most abusive gentleman in the House. There is a Redistribution of Seats Bill now before Parliament. It is said that the Government are determined to push it through during the present session. That measure provides an additional member for South Canterbury. A fresh electorate is to be created called Seadown. Could not some arrangement be arrived at by which Mr Wakefield might sit for Seadown and Mr Tripp for Geraldine ? It may be urged, however that it would be better not to disturb the existing state of things. The “ Member for Geraldine ” are household words in Few Zealand. Old associations should not be rudely broken. Besides there is an euphoniousness about the name of •“ Geraldine ” that is lacking in Seadown. The latter is too prosaic altogether to be associated with such a heaven-born orator as Mr Wakefield. But then, it may be said, the above are merely sentimental arguments. There are substantial benefits to be reaped from returning Mr Tripp for Geraldine. Is he not Chairman of the County Council bearing that name ? People will ask what earthly effect would such a circurasance have in the Legislature ? There is much, however, in it. The question of local government is the most important which engages the attention of Paxliament. A. gentleman who was chairman of the county and also rep re sented the district in the General Assembly could speak with immense authoritativeness on the all-absorbing topic. Is not Mr Vincent Pyke j

Chairman of the Vincent County Couoci 1 , and is he not a power in Parliament? Pyke and Tripp—how these two names would be bracketted together all over New Zealand as great authorities on all questions of local government. We advise that .Messrs Wakefield and Tripp consult together as'to the constituencies they will stand for at the next general election. It would be nothing shoit of a national calamity for Parliament to be deprived of the services of cither of them.

We have not alluded to the electors themselves. They are generally supposed to have a voice in such matters. However, in this particular instance, they may be dismissed without a word. It is to be presumed that they have just got that modicum of intelligence to know wliat is good for them. Their duty is to obey. A few dissatisfied individuals hero and there may hint that Messrs Wakefield and Tripp are not the men which should represent an agrlcultuial community ; that thc/e are farmers and business men in South Cante hu.y who would be move suitable reinesentatires, and whoso sympathies and interests would be identical with the sympathies and inteiest'i of those they represented. But will anyone deny that New Zealand is a glorious country, and is not its glory attributable to the land grabbers and monopolists who i ulcd it in the past ? A,e not Messrs Wakefield and Tripp identified with that pa' ty which gives a “ tone to society,and which lias so well looked after its own inte est as to secure large estates at a nominal va'ue? Mon who were wise enough in theT generation to pick out the eyes ”of the country at from 10s to £1 an acre, should not lightly be turned aside. The man who gave from £lO to £2O per aero is only lit to follow the plough. Hard work should bo his lot. Let Inm he content to siryggle on and forward the work of settlement, and thus enormously increase the value of bis wealthy neighbors’ vast estates, on which only a few shepherds’ huts aie to bo seen. It is true that Mr Edward Wakefield is not a largo landholder. That is more his inisioituue than In's fault. However, he is the next best thing to being a landgrabber. He is an intense admirer and supporter of that lucky individual.

Mr Tripp’s heart warms to Mr Wakefield. In this morning's issue of our local contemporary the Orari Gorge squatter writes a letter, and in that letter he gives the Member for Geraldine the most part of the praise for Timaru being so far successful in inducing Parliament to sanction an endowment of fifty thousand acres for harbor improvement purposes. Mr Tripp is not to be blamed for giving praise to the wrong man. He was misled by the morning journal which represents the interests of the squatters in South Canterbury. That paper ignores Mr Turnbull as much as possible, because the Member for Timaru is very far from being a representative of the squatting interest. His sympathies lie in another direction. However, the Member for Geraldine has been generous enough to write to the paper mentioned, that whilst he (Mr Wakefield) did mostofthetalking in Committee,Mr TnrnbuU did ail the work. Still we cannot help thinking that our morning contemporary itself was misled by ils Parliamentary ■ correspondent. Mr Wakefield is now in Wellington, and be might Lave a friendly talk with the correspondent, and advise him not to be so lavish in his bestowal of praise on the honorable member for Geraldine. It was that correspondent who, in connection with the Harbor Endowment, gave Mr Turnbull the negative praise of being wise enough to hold his tongue whilst Mr Wakefield was doing battle on behalf of the settlers of South Canterbury. A correspondent of a Southern contemporary gave a different account of the affair. In fact, he went so far as to say that Mr Wakefield, by his injudicious utterances, nearly succeeded in having the • Bill thrown out. Mr Tripp was not aware of that, and very probably does not want a knowledge of anything which would be derogatory to the member for Geraldine. Neither do wo suppose such knowledge would affect the )e----lations between the two. They both row in the same boat, and maybe they will be able to tow the electors of South Canterbury after them. To use a metaphor, the sheep will easily be rounded into the fold.